IRANIAN President Masoud Pezeshkian slammed the West today, saying that Israel is “committing massacres” in the war in Gaza and using European and US weapons to do so.

President Pezeshkian, who spoke in Baghdad at the start of his highly symbolic first visit abroad since taking office, is hoping to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad as regional tensions increasingly pull both majority Shi’ite countries into the widening Middle East fray.

Iran has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and Hamas fighters since its October 7 attack on southern Israel. 

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war erupted, according to local health officials. The war has also caused vast destruction and displaced about 90 per cent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

“The Israeli entity is committing massacres against women, children, young men and elderly. They bomb hospitals and schools,” President Pezeshkian said.

He said: “All these crimes are being committed by using European and American ammunition and bombs.”

Ahead of Mr Pezeshkian’s arrival, an explosion struck a site near Baghdad International airport used by the United States military on Tuesday night. There were no reported casualties and the circumstances of the explosion were unclear.

President Pezeshkian’s visit is significant for both countries.

For Iran, its relationship with Iraq remains crucial for economic, political and religious reasons.

Baghdad, meanwhile, has been trying to balance its relationship with Tehran as well as with the US, which maintains a force of 2,500 troops in Iraq despite being asked to leave the country.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told reporters during a joint news conference with President Pezeshkian that the two neighbours signed 14 memorandums of understanding today to boost relations.

He also pledged that Iraq’s airspace will not be used for attacks on the Islamic Republic — an apparent reference to Israel.